PPIUD Project: Kenya

Globally, 214 million women have an unmet need for contraception. The postpartum period provides an excellent opportunity to initiate access to family planning.

To this end, in 2013 FIGO began the ‘Institutionalisation of Immediate Postpartum IUD (PPIUD) Services Initiative’. It has trained community midwives, health workers, doctors and delivery unit staff in counselling on postpartum family planning and insertion of PPIUD immediately postpartum.

We are proud to celebrate the impressive achievements of each of the countries involved in this project.

Background

FIGO’s Postpartum IUD Initiative launched in Kenya in 2015, with the aim of strengthening the knowledge and skills of health providers in postpartum family planning services. The Initiative advocated for the sustained inclusion of postpartum IUD counselling and insertion into national services to sustain impact beyond the immediate project funding.

Project partner KOGS (Kenya Obstetrics and Gynaecological Society) has worked closely with facilities to:

Strengthen postpartum family planning training and mentorship
Train community health workers to raise awareness
Amend the health management information systems data collection on family planning indicators to include postpartum family planning, alongside the government.

The success of the PPIUD initiative has led to the Nursing Council of Kenya (NCK) formally incorporating PPIUD into the Nursing Scope of Practice, ensuring that in the future, all nurse-midwives will receive training in PPIUD counselling and insertion. PPIUD is also in the process of being incorporated into OBGYN medical logbooks, helping to establish the method as a routine part of family planning practice in Kenya.

Project Duration: 4 years (2015-2019)

Partner Society: Kenya Obstetrical and Gynaecological Society (KOGS)

Key Stakeholders: National and County Governments, Nursing Council of Kenya

Number of Facilities: 6*

*Providers were also trained in two additional facilities for a short period of time.